Witch Trails

Witch Trials
      Witches were not liked from 1480-1700 and were persecuted for many different reasons. The four major reasons included personal gain, the church, discrimination, and the use of an escape goat. When a person was accused of witchcraft or executed for witchcraft, the accusers or executioners gained personally from it. The church did not like the fact that the witches were being feared and that they were losing authority. Many women and elderly people were being accused of being witches because women were viewed as weak and the elderly were considered impure.   Witchcraft was also used as an escape goat against uncontrollable occurrences which the accused had no control over.
The persecution of witches was much more for personal gain than safety. In “The Canon Linden,” they tell us who gains from the death of witches. It specifically says and I quote, “This movement was promoted by many in office who hoped for wealth from the persecution.” The notaries, copyists, and innkeepers got more money from every persecution where a witch was killed. The notaries, copyists, and innkeepers were not the only ones getting things from these executions. Of course, since they were executions, the executioner would get money out of it. The executioners rode around like a noble of a court. (Doc. 2) Also a letter written by the mayor of Bamberg to his daughter states that he is innocent, but is being held in the witch prison. It goes to show that no matter what rank you are, whether you are a mayor, or just a farmer, they will accuse you just for personal gain. (Doc. 5) This letter is reliable because he wrote it to his daughter and these are his last words and he would not lie to her right before he was executed. (P.O.V) Johan Wier, a Belgium physician and writer of “De Praestigiis Daemonum” would gain personally from treating people accused of witchcraft as medical illnesses. (Doc. 12) This is a reliable source because he is a physician and knows what people need...